


Friends and Lovers

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-04-03
Updated: 2002-04-03
Packaged: 2019-05-15 15:00:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14792708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Sequel to "The Other Woman"





	1. Friends and Lovers

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Friends and Lovers**

**by:** Dee

**Notes:** Follows "The Other Woman"   


"I broke up with Amy a few weeks ago." 

"I thought you might." 

Josh turned to Stan to take in his expression but he wasn't giving anything away. 

"I take it this means you are seeing Donna?" 

"No. I mean yes. I'm seeing her. I see her a few times a week and we email in the morning and usually we'll talk at night, but we're not... you know, we're not... doing it." 

"I see. Why not?" 

"It's my problem," Josh admitted. And why he was here again. 

"Uh huh. Well, I'm not a medical expert, but I understand that there is medication available for people with sexual dysfunction problems..." 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I don't have a sex problem." 

"You said it was your problem." 

"Yeah, but not a sex one. I can have sex. I want to have sex. In fact, if you ask quite a number of women..." 

Stan held up his hand. "Enough said. I get the point. You can have sex. It's that you are choosing not to have sex with Donna. Maybe you're not attracted to her that way." 

Josh considered that. He'd been over her place last night watching the Olympics. She'd gotten outraged over some figure skating decision and had stomped around the apartment. All he could think about was that it was very obvious she wasn't wearing a bra under her pajamas. He'd had to use a pillow to cover his lap like some frustrated sixteen year-old. 

"I'm attracted to her," he said simply. 

"So what do you think the problem is?" 

"That's why I'm here. I was hoping you could tell me. I mean we've been... a few times she's looked at me and I know she's been waiting for me to make some move, but then I freeze up. I can't go through with it." 

Stanley nodded. 

"Why am I doing that?" 

He chuckled. "I don't know. I'm a psychiatrist, Josh, not a mind reader. Why do you think you're doing it?" 

Josh snorted. "I can't believe I pay to be here." 

"All right," Stanley conceded. "You want me to spell out what I think you already know. You're afraid to make a sexual advance towards Donna because you're afraid you'll ruin your friendship. It's not all that cryptic." 

"But I want more than just a friendship. I want her." 

"Not more than you want her in your life." 

"There it is," Josh quipped. That rang absolutely true. He'd found something with Donna: a peace and a security that he couldn't remember having in any one of his failed relationships. He didn't want to blow it. 

"The question is why are you so convinced that you can't have a successful relationship?" 

"Because I've never had one before." 

"Depends on your definition of successful. If that means marriage, then no, but few people marry the first person they have a relationship with. Everybody fails until it's right." 

"Yeah, but I've been failing for over twenty years now. It's sort of habit at this point." 

"We talked about this, Josh. You're not a man incapable of love. In fact quite the opposite. I would imagine that when you finally decide to commit yourself, you'll be rather passionate in that commitment." 

"You think?" 

"I do. But what I think doesn't really matter. You've got to convince yourself." 

"I think it's her... but...I don't know maybe if it was her I would be so passionate about her that I wouldn't be able to hold back. Maybe the fact that I can pull away means something." 

"You want my advice?" 

"I'm pretty sure that's why I'm paying you." 

"You think too much, Josh. Go with ..." 

"My gut. I know. I know. You're worth every dime, Stanley." 

"I know." 

"Ellen! Ellen!" Josh shouted for his assistant to no avail. "Ellen!" 

"She's gone, Josh." 

Josh lifted his head. "Ginger. Where the hell did she go?" 

"She said she had a headache... can't imagine why." 

"What was that?" 

"Nothing." 

"She's gone for the day? It's only six o'clock." 

Ginger just shrugged and continued along her way. 

"I have got to get an assistant," he mumbled to no one in particular. 

The phone rang and he hesitated. "See, this is why I need an assistant!" He picked it up. "Lyman." 

"I think you should do something." 

Instantly, he felt himself smiling. He was starting to become pathetic. "About what?" 

"About the figure skating results! You're a very important man, Josh." 

"Well that's true." 

"Can't you call someone?" 

"They weren't even American." 

"But they were robbed! And besides don't we need Canada's help in securing our borders?" 

"Yeah but we get a lot of our oil from Russia." 

"Can we go after the French?" 

"Actually, yes, them we can go after. You work for defense, why don't you whip a little military action." 

"That's right," she said as if suddenly realizing the importance of where she worked. "I do have some contacts down here at the Pentagon. A lot of Secret Op type guys are in and out of Chuck's office all day long." 

No doubt, strong, physically stupendous specimens of manhood ... that flirted with Donna. "Anyone in particular?" He thought that sounded pretty casual. 

"Huh?" 

"You know Secret Op contact. I mean is there someone..." 

"No," she said quickly. "No, no one special. They normally just stand really straight and keep their mouth shut." 

He breathed a sigh of relief. But the time was coming when he couldn't blame her if she began to see someone else. Things hadn't worked out with Calley, but Donna was, as Sam once described her, gorgeous. And she was witty and smart and passionate about figure skating. What man wouldn't want her? It was only a matter of time before someone else came along and asked her out. And only a matter of time before she said yes. 

"So are you coming over? The men's short program is tonight." 

"I'm not watching men figure skate." 

"Why not?" 

"Because it's gay." 

"It's not gay, Josh. It's an Olympic sport. Do you understand the physical requirements it takes to spin four times in the air and land on thin steel blade?" 

"Do you understand how painful it is to watch a grown man in a sequined shirt and sparkly gloves skate to Michael Jackson?" 

He heard her chuckle. 

"What else is on?" he asked knowing without a doubt where he was going after work. 

"The downhill." She wouldn't tell him that it was the women's downhill. 

"I'll bring the beer." 

"Kay." 

He hung up the phone and checked the clock. He needed to get a few more hours in before heading out and for the seventh time that day cursed the fact that he didn't have a qualified assistant to make his life fractionally easier. 

He reached for a briefing memo, but stopped himself. "Let's think about what this means," he said to the empty office. "She calls, I'm happy. I'm glad to hear her voice. I'm looking forward to seeing her. Do I just think I'm looking forward to seeing her? No, I'm really looking forward to it. And I'm also thinking about what she might be wearing. I'm hoping she's wearing the pink pajamas..." 

"And I'm thinking of having you committed," Leo said from the doorway of his office. 

Why did it always have to be Leo? 

"Hey... I was just... Stanley said..." 

Leo held out his hand. "I really don't want to know. Did you get the Michigan numbers from Doug?" 

"Yeah, but I haven't had time to put them together." Actually Ellen didn't find the time to put them together, but Josh's staff problems were his concern, not Leo's. "I'll have it for you by tomorrow. I want take another look at the 18 to 25 demographic." 

"Don't go crazy over the 18 to 25's, Josh. They'll break your heart." 

Josh nodded. 

"And Josh..." 

"Yeah?" 

"Don't talk to yourself anymore. It's weird. And tell Donna I said hello. That last commercial she did for us was winner." 

"I will." 

Oh yeah, he thought when he opened the door. The pink pajamas. They made her look a little like a teenager and although he knew that was perverted in a Britney Spears kind of way, he couldn't help but be turned on by them. 

He held out two six packs. They never drank that much, but Donna liked light beer and he liked... well, real beer. 

She took them and headed towards her small galley kitchen. 

For the umpteenth time Josh admired his handiwork on the paint job. The blue wasn't too offensive and the white trim was neat. Of course, Donna had done the trim, but there weren't an abundance of bubbles in the blue. "You know I have to say I am quite the handyman." 

Since her back was to him, he didn't see her rolling her eyes. "Yes, Josh. You did manage to paint four flat walls blue." 

"With no splatter, Donna," he insisted hearing the mockery in her voice. "Don't I get technical points for no splatter." He took his coat off and settled in on the couch. She'd purchased an ottoman thing to put his feet on and he hit the remote on the TV, checking CNN first before switching to the Olympics. 

She came over to the couch with two beers in her and a saucy expression on her face. "Well, I might considering bumping your score up, but what do I get in return?" 

He gulped and thought now would be the perfect opportunity to say something, anything that might put them onto the sex path. He really wanted to go down the sex path with Donna. 

But when he opened his mouth all that came out was... "Uh." 

She handed him his beer and watched as he concentrated on twisting off the cap then taking a sip. 

Okay, she thought. So much for that attempt. She sat next to him on the couch, put her feet next to his on the ottoman, and considered what she was doing wrong. She'd worn the pink pajamas. She knew he liked the pink pajamas, but still not a word... or a lousy kiss for that matter. 

Maybe she should just take his face in her hands and plant one on him. But what if the reason he hadn't made a move was simply because he wasn't attracted to her like that? Then he would have to stutter and explain that he only liked her as a friend, and Donna didn't think she could take the "Just Friends" talk from Josh. 

At least if she did nothing there was still hope. 

"Did you buy a bed yet?" he asked out of the blue. 

Donna turned to him. Surely that wasn't a move. Not even Josh could be that ... unsubtle. "No." 

"So you still sleep on the couch?" 

"Only when I don't roll off." Which she'd done twice already. She really needed to learn how to pull it out into a bed. 

"You should buy a bed." 

"Okay." 

"I could go with you." 

"Bed shopping?" Was she actually having this conversation? 

"Yeah, you're going to need help moving it." 

"Okay." 

"Or you could have it delivered." 

"That would make more sense. Can I ask why you're suddenly concerned about my lack of furniture?" 

He could say something casual like... `Because when I start sleeping over I'm going to need something bigger than this couch.' Or he could go with something romantic like... `Because when I picture us together I picture us in a bed.' 

Instead he said, "It would be better for your back and shoulder." 

She nodded. "You're all heart, Josh." 

"That's me." 

They turned then back to the television. A skater came on to the ice in a puffy blue shirt with ruffles. Josh groaned and covered his eyes and Donna laughed. They sipped their beer while Josh mocked first the skaters then her for being so excited when the American won the Bronze. 

When he left, he kissed her on her cheek. 

And Donna thought... all things considered ... this wasn't so bad. 

But someday she was going to find the nerve to plant one on him. 


	2. Friends and Lovers 2

**Friends and Lovers**

**by:** Dee   


He was there. In the crowd. She saw him for just a minute, but she was sure it was him. She turned to find Josh, to warn him, but he was a few feet ahead of her and as much as she wanted to move her legs she couldn't. They were stuck. She could hear herself trying to shout his name, but she didn't know if she was making any sound. 

He wouldn't turn around. He kept walking and she knew that he didn't understand. The man was here. And he had a gun. 

When she turned again she found the gunman in the crowd. He was pointing the gun and she started to scream. Not because he was pointing it at her, but because he was aiming it at Josh. 

She watched the bullet hit him. She saw the blood on his chest. He looked at her then, disappointed, because she hadn't warned him. And suddenly Josh had become her father and she watched him die all over again. 

Donna forced herself awake and struggled to get air into her lungs. Instinctively, she reached for the phone and hit her speed dial. 

"Hello?" 

Instantly, she breathed a sigh of relief. He was fine. Of course, he was fine. She just needed to hear his voice. 

"Okay, if this some kind of prank call... can I just say, I'm enjoying it." 

She took another breath, "Josh." 

Instantly his tone changed. "Donna. Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine... I just..." 

"Wanted to call and breath heavy into my ear?" 

She smiled but at the same time felt tears well behind her eyes. 

"Bad dream?" 

She nodded but realized he couldn't see that. "Yes." 

"Was he in it?" 

"I don't want to talk about it." 

"We've been through this. You have to talk about it. If you don't talk about it when it happens, it festers and then you end up like me." 

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to do that," she managed to tease. "Be like you." 

"Don't knock it until you try it. But not this. Trust me when I tell you don't want this. Now talk." 

She smiled again and already felt better, the worst of the remnants of the dream now gone, but she would tell him about it just because she knew he wouldn't let her off the phone until she had. "Yes, he was in it. He shot you." 

"Bastard." 

"I was worried, so I called." 

"You don't have to be worried, Donna. Bullet's bounce off me. Just ask my surgeon." 

Donna checked the clock and gasped when she saw it was after two in the morning. "God, Josh why didn't you tell me it was so late." 

"I was up." 

"What are you doing up at this hour?" 

"Reading. I'm nowhere ready for this fight on campaign finance reform we've got coming up. The President is letting them duke it out in Congress, but eventually he's going to have to step into the fray. I need to know everything." 

"Oh my gosh, Josh Lyman just admitted that he didn't know everything... it must be late." 

"Yeah, well don't spread it around." 

His voice rumbled in her ear and she felt soothed by it. She remembered back to a night after a bad dream when he held her all night long. The next morning had been painfully embarrassing considering they woke up entangled in each other's arms. But since she was moving out, they decided to let it drop and simply pretend that it hadn't happened. 

"I wish you were here," she blurted out suddenly, thinking there was really no reason now to pretend. 

"I'll come over." 

"No," she said knowing he was only offering to be nice: a trait he didn't like to lay claim to but possessed anyway. "No, I'm fine now. You should go to sleep. You work too hard." 

"Donna, I'll come over. You'll sleep better if..." 

"No," she said firmly. She wouldn't cling. That's not how she wanted things to be between them. It was hard enough that their... thing... for lack of a better word had started out with him taking care of her. They needed to get beyond that, and for the most part they were. Tonight was just a slip. "I'm fine, Josh. I'll be asleep in five minutes." 

"Okay." 

"Thank you. For answering the phone and for being... you. I owe you." 

"You don't owe me, Donna. That's what ..." 

"Friends are for," she finished curious as to why he stopped. 

"Yeah." 

"Good night. Drink some warm milk if you can't sleep." 

"Okay." 

"Night." 

Josh waited a beat and realized that she hadn't yet hung up the phone. She was waiting for him, and for whatever reason it made his heart beat heavy in his chest. He hung up the phone, dropped the report on his bed stand and settled back on his pillow. 

He should go over there, he thought. She said she was fine, but she would probably sleep better if he were there. Unless she was asleep when he got there. Then he would just be waking her up. 

But what if she needed him? He should go. 

He was about to get out of the bed when the phone rang again. 

"Hello." 

"Stop reading and go to bed." 

He smiled into the phone. "I'm coming over." 

"No you're not. You're going to stop reading and go bed and get some sleep. And I'm taking you to lunch tomorrow as thanks." 

"Okay." Not because he wanted her thanks, but it was nice to see her during the day. It always gave him a pick me up. 

"Josh?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Who did you call at night?" 

No one. He hadn't called anyone and as a result had ended up in therapy. "Nobody." 

"If you knew me then, you could have called me." 

"I think if I knew you then, I would have." 

"Good night. And get some sleep." 

This time he waited and listened to the click of the phone. He hung up his phone and settled down to sleep and thought not for the first time that it would be nice if she were here with him. Just to sleep next to him, and talk to him, and listen to him. 

He hadn't done that a lot with Amy. They were more about verbal foreplay, then sex, then sleep. Not a whole lot of late night phone calls, or the kind of quiet conversation that didn't say much but was intimate all the same. 

He looked at the other half of his bed and considered that at least with Amy he got to have sex on a regular basis. Then he realized that he would take a late night telephone conversation with Donna over sex with Amy any day. 

Oh yeah, he had it bad. Now if he could just do something about it. 

Donna made her way through the halls of the West Wing and tried to steady her breathing. She'd been here twice before once for a ceremony in her honor where the President had given her a commendation for bravery in the Rose Garden and another time to meet with Bruno. And still the place intimidated her. There was a speed and an energy to the big old house that was palatable. Not that working at the Pentagon was any day in the park, or at least it wasn't. But the West Wing was different. 

It was all powerful. 

"Donna." 

Donna looked up and spotted CJ. After several powwows before three of the interviews she did and her guidance during the commercial shooting, she'd come to not only respect CJ's political savvy and how she always knew the right cord to hit with the press and the public, but she'd come to like her as well. She didn't imagine there were many people who didn't like her. 

"Hi." 

"What are you doing here? I thought you said no to Bruno's last offer to dress you up as the Statue of Liberty and parade you around New York on a float." 

"I did. Although, it was a tough decision. I've always wanted to wear a crown." 

CJ laughed. 

"I'm here to see, Josh. I'm taking him to lunch." 

"He's in with Leo, but go ahead and wait in his office." CJ pointed to the open door over her shoulder and moved on. 

Donna spotted the door and walked in slightly nervous that she was invading his turf without being invited. She checked outside the bullpen area but the seat closest to his door was empty. A bunch of people milled about, but no one seemed to question her presence. 

She wandered back in his office and checked it out. There were a few pictures of him with the President on the wall, one with an older couple that she had to assume were his parents based on how young he looked in the picture. 

Other than that there wasn't too much personal memorabilia. A half empty coffee mug. Another picture of a his mother on his desk. And a lot of work. This was definitely a working office rather than a showcase office. But the chaos of it all rankled her sensibilities. 

There were briefing memos everywhere. And as far as Donna could see there was no order to them. The inbox was overflowing to the point of ridiculousness. Three memos on campaign finance reform were on the left side of his desk. One was on the right under another memo on farming subsidies. 

"Maybe, it's a system," she muttered to herself getting annoyed when she saw two pages from the same report separated and on opposite sides of the desk. 

Instinctively, she reached to correct that and stopped herself. This was his desk. His office. She shouldn't touch anything. 

"But it's a bad system," she told herself. 

Offering a silent prevent apology, she went to town on his desk. 

Josh stopped in his doorway when he spotted Donna behind his desk with a bunch of folders in her hands. 

A weird sense of déjà vu overwhelmed him. It was like he found himself walking into some other strange universe where the sight of Donna behind his desk was totally normal. But it wasn't. She'd never been in his office before. 

"Hey." 

Donna looked up and smiled although he could see the guilt in her eyes. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I had to do it." 

"Do what?" he asked walking slowly in to his office and realizing that something was vastly different about it. 

"It was a mess, and everything was out of order, and you had receipts in this drawer that you've clearly never expensed and report pages mixed in with other report pages and..." 

Josh held up his hand in attempt to silence her so he could take it in. His desk was... neat. It was organized. All of the reports pertaining to each of the different issues he was addressing were sorted into folders. Each folder was marked with a heading. When he opened one, he found that the reports were listed in chronological order, the most current report on top. 

"You did this?" 

"I had to." 

"I did have a system you know." Which was basically to make sure he didn't drop anything crucial on the floor. 

"It was a bad system." 

"I think I have to kiss you." 

"For this?" she asked shocked, then quickly shut her mouth. Her tone implied he should have kissed her for some other reason and there really was no other reason why he should unless of course he wanted to, which he didn't seem to do. 

He gave her his patented deer in the headlight look, the one were his eyes popped a little and his forehead crinkled, a look she was fairly sure that he only ever used with women he didn't know what to do with and never with Senators or Congressmen. 

"Uh..." 

He said that a lot. It usually came right after his deer in the headlight look 

"Josh, I forgot I'm going to need," Leo popped his head into Josh's office. "Oh hey, Donna. What are you doing here? Did Bruno talk you into dressing up as Wonder Woman so you could parachute into a Jack Kemp Cooke?" 

"No, although it was tempting. I always wanted her gold bracelets." 

Leo smiled and looked at Josh's office. "What's the matter with this place?" 

"It's organized." He pointed. "Donna did it." 

Leo looked up at her then at Josh's desk. "You mean you can find stuff if you need it?" 

"I'm pretty sure I could. Test me." 

"I need the report detailing the appropriations for the new farm subsidies." 

Josh glanced over the folders neatly stacked in order on his desk and picked the appropriate one. He opened the folder, found the report, and handed it to Leo. 

"Wow." 

"I know." 

"You should hire her." With that Leo took his report and left. 

Josh laughed off his statement and turned back to Donna. "So where do you want to go for lunch?" 

"The Mess is fine if you're busy." 

"No, I've got some time. What about you? How long does Chuck give you?" 

"Well, here's the funny thing about that," she said. She wasn't going to tell him. She knew he'd get mad and make a fuss and there was really no reason for it. She was fine. "You remember Marie who got married?" 

"Yeah." 

"Turns out her husband didn't get the transfer she thought he was going to get and since she'd been with Chuck for eight years it was only right that he hire her back." 

"Donna are you telling me..." 

"Yep. I'm out of a job. Temporarily at least. So you know anyone who might be looking for an assistant?" 


	3. Friends and Lovers 3

**Friends and Lovers**

**by:** Dee   


Josh stormed through the halls of the Pentagon and stopped when he saw Marie sitting behind Donna's old desk. He tried not to growl. 

"Hi, Marie," he said through clenched teeth. "Is Chuck in?" 

"I knew you would be mad." 

"I'm not mad." 

"You're mad. I can see it." 

Josh struggled to hold on to his temper. "I'm not mad, I just want to talk to Chuck." 

Marie picked up the phone and hit a button. "Chuck, Josh is here.... Oh yeah....And can I take this moment to point out I've been loyal to you for eight years.... Okay can I take this moment to remind you that I still have pictures of you from last year's Christmas party?" 

She hung up the phone and smiled at Josh. "You can go in." 

Josh swung open the door ready to berate the Undersecretary of Defense. 

"Before you say anything I just want you to read my letter reference," Chuck began. 

"I don't care about a letter Chuck, I need you to get her a job." 

"There's nothing for her here. And I had to take Marie back." 

"What's in the pictures, Chuck?" 

"Nothing," he sneered. "I took her back because she's been with me for years. We're a team. And besides that... my wife didn't like Donna." 

"Why?" Josh couldn't imagine her being anything but polite to a wife. 

Chuck just looked at him. 

"Oh." 

"Marie she trusts. And more than that she trusts me with Marie." 

Josh sighed, defeated. 

Chuck came around his desk. "Look Josh, Ellen would have gotten over it. I hired Marie back because I did. Because she's Marie. I wrote Donna a glowing letter and I also called Leo." 

"You called Leo?" 

"I explained the situation. I told him she would be perfect in the West Wing or the OEOB. There's just nothing here for her." 

Josh slumped his shoulders. Great. Now Leo knew that Donna needed a job. He was cooked. 

He left Chuck's office and glared at Marie. 

"Am I fired?" 

"No." 

Chuck walked out after him. "But it was a close thing Marie. Remember that the next time I say I need something pronto." 

"I don't have a problem getting what you need on time. I have a problem with the word pronto." 

Josh left them and took the Metro back to Dupont. He wanted the walk to clear his head as he considered the myriad of problems associated with hiring Donna. One, he was sexually attracted to her. Two, he was sexually attracted to her, and three he was really sexually attracted to her. 

Hiring her would preclude all sex. Sure it would help him do his job, help him serve the President, maybe even help him in service to his country. But he would be losing out on the sex. 

What sex? his conscience whispered. He'd been too chicken to make a move up until now so what difference would it make if he hired her. 

He couldn't hire her. He couldn't rule out that kind of a relationship. They were simply too close. Eventually, he was going to get over this fear of losing her and do something about it. She couldn't be his assistant when that happened. He was a high profile figure and regardless that they were two single unattached people, the media still wouldn't like a prominent White House staff member banging his younger beautiful assistant. 

It would smell like a scandal and the last thing the President needed was any hint of corruption anywhere near him or his staff. 

Of course he could sleep with her first. Make it known that they had a previous relationship before she came to work for him. 

But that would smack of him hiring his girlfriend. 

No, there was no way around it. If he hired her they would have to keep things exactly the way they were now. Maybe even less so. Not many people would understand what he was doing leaving his assistant's apartment after midnight on a Friday. 

But if he did hire her, he got all of her talent, all of her commitment, and he got to see her everyday, all day. 

That was definitely a plus. Sort of like getting to work with your best friend. And maybe spending all that time together would be the best way to determine if this thing they had was real. 

Maybe day in and day out contact would somehow lessen her humor, her guile, her innocent enthusiasm. Maybe he would come to understand that she was a friend and that's all she was and then the two of them could move on to another relationship. Or if he did discover that she was what he wanted, all they had to do was wait four years until the end of the administration and then they would be free to have all the sex in the world. 

Josh could hear the conversation now. "Donna you don't mind not seeing anyone else for four years while I decide if you're what I really want ... do you?" 

Yeah, he didn't think that was going to work. 

He got back to his office and mumbled hellos along the way. He turned the corner into his office and stopped. An hour. It had only taken her an hour to do all of his. Imagine what she could do during a normal fourteen-hour workday. 

"What are you doing?" 

Immediately, Josh flipped off the women's Ice Skating. "Reading," he said into the phone. 

"I made extra chili. How about I come over and feed you?" 

"Kay." 

He hung up the phone and immediately his door buzzer went off. He went over to the door and hit the release then unlocked the door so she could just come in. 

He sat back on the couch and turned the ice-skating back on since he knew she would put it on anyway. Besides he didn't think he was out of line watching women's figure skating. After all he could write that off as checking out their legs. 

"Hi," she said coming in and shutting the door behind her. She took her crock to the kitchen and set it on the stone. 

"Hi. You don't have to call you know. Especially when you're standing outside the door." 

"It's rude not to announce when you're going to be stopping by." She fetched two bowls and filled them generously with the still hot chili. 

"What if I said I was busy? You would have had to haul the chili all the way home." 

"Not possible. I know you love my chili." 

It was true. And she used turkey instead of ground beef and he still loved it. 

She topped the two bowls off with some extra cheddar that she brought along in a baggy knowing that his refrigerator was inadequately stocked. She'd bet he hadn't been grocery shopping since she left. 

She brought him his bowl and sat down next to him with hers. "Aren't the American's just beautiful." 

"Yeah, they're pretty hot." 

"I meant beautiful skaters." 

"You mean they're skating?" 

She nudged him, but knew she had passed along her Olympic fervor to him as demonstrated by the fact that he was obviously watching it before she got here. 

"So Chuck called Leo and told him you would be perfect in the West Wing or OEOB." 

"Really," she muttered. 

"I wouldn't be surprised if Leo stopped by my office tomorrow to tell me it would be a good idea to hire you. He knows I'm struggling without decent help and with re-election coming up things are even more intense. Before we were just trying to get Bartlet elected, now we have to do that and run the country too." 

"I see. So you want me to come work for you." 

Josh put his bowl down and turned to face her. "What do you want?" 

"A good paying job with benefits." 

"We have benefits." 

She smiled and set her own bowl down. She knew where this conversation was heading. In fact it was why she had come over in the first place. The problem was what she wanted to say wasn't easy and in a way she was taking as much of a risk by saying it as she would be if she were to tell him how she felt about him. 

But in the end they were adults and they needed to get beyond, I like you and I think you like me but I don't know if you like me like me. 

"You need me, Josh." 

"I've managed okay thus far, Donna." 

"You have. But I can help. I want to help. After I got shot, if it hadn't been for you..." 

"Is that what this is about? Your loyalty? I don't want you to work for me because you think you owe me." 

"But I do owe you," she insisted. "And this would be a way I can repay you. I mean I can't ever repay the time you sat with me in the hospital or held me after a nightmare, but I can repay the fact that you brought me here. Helped me get my life together. Because I've got to tell you when I left Wisconsin I had no idea where I was going." 

"You went to Nashua." 

"Emotionally, Josh. Stick with me here will you?" 

"Okay." 

"The point is I want to do this for you." 

"And you wouldn't have a problem working for me?" 

"No, because of The Cape." 

"The Cape?" He had a feeling he was in for a story. Donna liked to tell stories. 

Donna sighed. "I told you that my favorite ice-dancers were Torville and Dean." 

"Oh God." 

"Well, what made them famous, what everyone remembers, is the 6.0 performance of Bolero." 

"A 6.0 is good?" 

"It's perfect." 

"Out of ten?" 

"Out of six, again, losing focus here, Josh." 

"Okay." 

"But what I remember was their Original performance. It was to a Spanish beat and almost all the other skaters came out and did renditions of the Bull and the Matador. And then Jane skates out wrapped around Chris's neck and you could tell by her costume she was supposed to be the cape. He whipped her around the ice and dragged her body behind him like she was lifeless. Like she was part of his costume. In fact that's exactly what she was. And at the end when everybody was applauding he wrapped her around his neck again and they skated off that way. And I thought that's awful...." 

"It is awful. He made her the cape." 

"But what I came to understand was that she was still half the performance. He still couldn't have done what he did without her. He was only perfect with her. And I realized that it didn't matter that she was the cape. It didn't lessen her in anyway. I'm a cape, Josh. I always have been. With my father, with my ex-boyfriend. And when I left my ex-boyfriend I used to think that I didn't want to do that anymore. I wanted my next relationship to be all about me. I wanted to be the center. But it's just not who I am." 

"You're the cape." 

"I'm the cape. And I'm okay with that. Being the cape doesn't make me weak or less of a woman, or less confident. You know what it does make me..." 

"What?" 

"Very useful." 

"Donna, you realize that if you come to work for me ... we can't. It would be improper to... we couldn't." 

"I know," she told him gently. "I know it would be improper to do what it is you can't even say. But the truth is, Josh we're not doing ... anything improper... now." 

"I know," he sighed in defeat. Because of him. 

"You won't let me be that to you. So let me be this. Let me be your cape. With me you could be Superman." 


	4. Friends and Lovers 4 - R Version

**Friends and Lovers**

**by:** Dee   


"She wants to be my cape." 

"Your cape?" Stanley asked. 

"So I can be Superman." 

"I see. Nothing to be embarrassed about, Josh. Using costumes and role playing to overcome sexual dysfunction is quite common." 

Josh scowled at him. "For the last time I don't have a sex problem." 

"Okay. I believe you." 

Josh scowled again, but he knew Stanley was just teasing him. Or at least he thought he was. "It's an analogy." 

"Oh." 

"To some figure skaters named Toro and Dan." 

"Dan Jansen?" 

"Is he a figure skater?" 

"No he was the speed skater who fell." 

"I thought the speed skater was the guy who got all the medals." 

"That was Eric Heiden." 

Josh shook his head. "What the hell difference does it make! The point is she wants to work for me. She thinks she can help me." 

"And that's bad?" 

"That's horrible!" 

"You don't want help?" 

"If we work together that's it. All she can be to me is a friend. Nothing more." 

"Isn't that all she is to you now?" 

"Yes, but I was planning on changing that." 

"When?" 

Josh grimaced and waved his hand. "Someday." 

Stanley nodded and waited for Josh to realize what he was saying. 

Josh huffed. Disgusted with himself. Disgusted with Stanley. Disgusted with the situation. "I don't suppose you need an assistant." 

"I have an assistant. She's very helpful." 

"Yeah, great," Josh said getting up. "That's what I need." 

"It is what you need, but you know Josh, you could always say no." 

Josh stopped then and turned back to Stanley. "She needs a job. I need an assistant. Saying no, just because of someday isn't fair to either of us." 

"Right if someday is someday. But if someday were soon, well..." 

"Well what?" 

"You once thought Donna was nothing more than a manifestation of your fear to commit. Was that true?" 

"No. She's Donna." 

Stanley nodded. "You do have a decision to make, Josh but it's not about whether or not you should hire Donna. The job is just pushing up the timetable. You have to ask yourself what kind of relationship do you want with this woman. Don't let the fact that you need an assistant and she needs a job interfere with that decision. You're using the job as an escape hatch." 

"Yeah, but where does the escape hatch go?" 

"To a place where Donna is your assistant and your friend. All things considered it doesn't sound like such a bad place." 

"No. It doesn't." 

Josh looked up at the sound of a knock on his door. It was late and he only had his desk light on in the hope that most people would think he had left for the night and he could get a little down time to think things through. 

Leo McGarry didn't know what down time was. 

"Since when do you knock?" 

"Since you look like you're in the middle of a life or death decision." 

"Not life or death," he muttered. "What's up?" 

"I got a call from Chuck yesterday." 

And this was it. The moment of truth. The decision was being placed before him and he had to decide. Never once in his life had he ever considered himself indecisive. Never once was there something that he wanted that he didn't pursue with a focused determination. Never once. 

Now here he was with the thing he believed he wanted most in the world and his feet were frozen in blocks. 

And then it hit him. Stanley was right. It wasn't about whether or not he should hire Donna it was about whether or not he loved her as something more than a friend. 

Images flashed through his mind of the two of them. He remembered her fighting first her pain, then the fear. He remembered her smug victory on the drive from New Hampshire. He remembered the time they went to the Air and Space Museum and she looked at the Lunar Landing Module and turned to him and said now those guys were brave. They knew what they were in for and they did it anyway. 

He remembered her cooking, her companionship, her smile, her sarcasm. Her enthusiasm, her depth, and her wisdom. He remembered her crankiness when she was tired, and the fact that she always left the toothpaste cap off. 

He'd never had a relationship with anyone quiet like her... except Joanie. 

And that was it. That was why he was so afraid of losing her. He'd had someone he loved just as much in his life before and she left him. 

He didn't want Donna to leave... because he loved her. It was just that simple. 

"No," he said to Leo. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"I'm not going to hire, Donna. I know I need an assistant. I know she's amazing, but ..." 

"Hire Donna?" Leo interjected. "You think I wanted you to hire Donna?" 

"The other day you said..." 

"I was kidding." 

"Oh." 

"You can't hire, Donna. You're in love with the girl." 

Josh paused and looked around wondering if somehow Leo had developed ESP. "How do you... How did you... I just figured..." 

Leo simply tilted his head and looked at him. "Please. Josh, you're a brilliant man." 

"I know." 

"But sometimes you're an idiot. I'm moving Nancy up to be the President's executive assistant and I'm hiring Donna to replace Nancy." 

"And I can still..." 

"I can't imagine anyone would have problem with two single people working in different departments in the White House having a relationship. There's nothing untoward about it. Just keep it private and if you break her heart I'll have to take you out back to the Rose Garden and shoot you." 

Josh smirked. "You're not her father you know." 

"No, but she doesn't have one so I figure I can step in. Don't worry. I've done this before with Mal." 

"Okay." 

Leo was about to leave when he stopped. "I like her Josh. For you. Amy was too..." 

"Yeah, I know." 

"Donna will ground you. You listen to what she tells you. She'll take you places." 

"I've got to tell her how I feel first." 

Leo nodded. "That part always sucks." 

"Tell me about it." 

"Here's what you do. Take her a nice bottle of red wine and a flower, just one. And say something like you can't imagine your life without her." 

Josh raised his eyebrows. "Been reading up on your romance etiquette." 

"It's how I got Jenny. Of course then I spent the next thirty years losing her, but I got her, Josh. And it was great." 

"I'll see you tomorrow." 

"Right. You'll tell Donna about the job." 

"It's late. I don't know if I'm going over there or not." 

"So you'll tell Donna about the job." 

"Yeah," Josh laughed. 

He hit the buzzer outside of her apartment door and waited. 

"Sniff..sniff...Yes?" 

"It's me. What's the matter?" He could hear her holding back her sobs. 

"Sniff...sniff... Nooothing." 

"Let me in." 

"My face is blotchy." 

What? "That's okay." He hoped. 

The buzzer sounded and he opened the door. She was waiting for him at her door and her face was indeed blotchy. 

"What's the matter?" 

She pushed the tissue she was holding against her nose. "Well, firsts Sarah skated and she was so good, and I was happy. But then Michelle fell, and I was so sad, and I wanted to the Russian girl to fall, and I felt really bad about that. But then Sarah won, and I was happy again, but Michelle lost, and I was sad and I can't... can't..." 

Having absolutely no idea what to do, Josh wrapped her up in his arms. He walked them back into her apartment and used his foot to shut the door behind him. He held her in his embrace and let her sob all over his suit coat and made a mental note to put this suit in his dry cleaning pile. 

She clung to him, her face in his neck, while he rubbed her back in long soothing strokes. 

"It's okay," he crooned trying not to smile at how ridiculous she was breaking down over some Olympic event. It's as if she both won and lost herself. 

However, he did use the time to enjoy being close to her. He could smell the fragrance of her shampoo and feel the thrust of her breasts against his chest. He tightened his arms a little bit so that they were connected from their thighs to the their shoulders. 

He could feel himself becoming aroused and mentally said, "Take that, Stanely. Sex problem my ass." 

Donna must have felt his reaction too because she pushed him away. "We shouldn't, Josh," she muttered even as she took a few reluctant steps back. 

"No, it's okay," he said quickly. 

"What's okay?" 

He didn't necessarily want to say his erection was okay. "Us." 

"Us?" 

"You and me." 

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Josh, you're not making any sense." 

"I've got great news. You're fired!" 

"Okay, we need to work on your definition of great news." 

"I mean you're not going to work for me." 

"Why?" 

"Because you can't." 

"Why?" 

"Because... you know... we're gonna..." Josh waved his hand in the air and then pointed back to her bedroom. 

Donna looked back at her bedroom. "We are?" 

"Oh yeah." 

"Why now?" 

"I think a better question is why not sooner?" 

"Josh," Donna sighed. "I know why you're doing this." 

"I know I was a little obvious there a few minutes ago, but..." 

"No, I mean you're just doing this because... You're trying to force something you think you want, but that doesn't mean you necessarily want it." 

"Huh?" 

"You thought you were in love Amy." 

"I was wrong." 

"Right. But you wanted a relationship, so you were trying to force things with her. You're doing the same thing with me now." 

"No, I'm not." 

"Yes, you are. You never once..." she waved her hand in the air imitating his earlier move, "before I said I was going to work for you. But now all of the sudden..." 

"Because I was an idiot, Donna. And this isn't all of the sudden." 

He could see that she didn't believe it. He walked over to her and took her arms in his hands forcing her to face him. 

"Remember when you were staying at my place and you had that nightmare, I slept with you so you could sleep?" 

"Yes." 

"I wanted you then. Remember when you forced me to watch that girly black and white movie last week?" 

"Yes." 

"I wanted you then. Remember after the pairs competition..." 

"Okay, that I figured out. You wouldn't let go of the pillow." 

"Right. Donna I want you. I have wanted you. I've just been so damn afraid of screwing up. And then this thing with the job happened and I thought fine, I'll just hire her. Then she'll be with me all the time, but I won't be able to screw it up. But that's not fair. To either of us. I want you. As my girlfriend, my lover, my friend. Not as my damn employee." 

"You mean it?" 

"I do." 

"And you want to..." she motioned with her hand again. 

"I really do." 

"What if I don't want to..." 

"Not possible," he smirked. He leaned in and kissed her then, and he felt her lips curl up into a smile. 

"So what happens now?" she asked. 

"Well, one you're going to work for the President and two we're going to..." he waved his hand and pointed back to her bedroom. 

"Did you just say I'm going to work for the President?" Donna asked stunned at the news. 

Josh pulled her along back to her bedroom. "Yeah, but that's not the thing you should be focusing on right now." 

"Josh," she said digging in her heels. "The President?" 

Frustrated, he turned. "Yeah. It's no big deal. Now if you'll concentrate on me, we can..." 

"What will I be doing?" 

This made him smile, "Anything you like," he purred and leaned in for another taste of her lips. "But if you want I can make a few suggestions..." 

"Josh!" 

"Donna!" 

They stared at each other for a moment in a stalemate. Then Josh flashed her his dimples and she was helpless against them. 

"I guess I can worry about the President later," she said moving forward in what she hoped was a seductive move. She also hoped her face was no longer blotchy. 

"Now you're talking. After all he's just the President." 

"He is. And you're... you." And she loved him so much sometimes it made her heart hurt. She should tell him. "Josh, you know I ..." she waved her hand in the air again and hoped he understood. 

He understood. He understood perfectly. "Yeah. Me too." 

"Good. I'm glad we got that settled." 

She took his hand and let him lead her back to his bedroom and really on to the rest of their lives. 

The End. 


	5. Friends and Lovers 4 - ADULT Version

**Friends and Lovers**

**by:** Dee   
**Rating:** ADULT   


"She wants to be my cape." 

"Your cape?" Stanley asked. 

"So I can be Superman." 

"I see. Nothing to be embarrassed about, Josh. Using costumes and role playing to overcome sexual dysfunction is quite common." 

Josh scowled at him. "For the last time I don't have a sex problem." 

"Okay. I believe you." 

Josh scowled again, but he knew Stanley was just teasing him. Or at least he thought he was. "It's an analogy." 

"Oh." 

"To some figure skaters named Toro and Dan." 

"Dan Jansen?" 

"Is he a figure skater?" 

"No he was the speed skater who fell." 

"I thought the speed skater was the guy who got all the medals." 

"That was Eric Heiden." 

Josh shook his head. "What the hell difference does it make! The point is she wants to work for me. She thinks she can help me." 

"And that's bad?" 

"That's horrible!" 

"You don't want help?" 

"If we work together that's it. All she can be to me is a friend. Nothing more." 

"Isn't that all she is to you now?" 

"Yes, but I was planning on changing that." 

"When?" 

Josh grimaced and waved his hand. "Someday." 

Stanley nodded and waited for Josh to realize what he was saying. 

Josh huffed. Disgusted with himself. Disgusted with Stanley. Disgusted with the situation. "I don't suppose you need an assistant." 

"I have an assistant. She's very helpful." 

"Yeah, great," Josh said getting up. "That's what I need." 

"It is what you need, but you know Josh, you could always say no." 

Josh stopped then and turned back to Stanley. "She needs a job. I need an assistant. Saying no, just because of someday isn't fair to either of us." 

"Right if someday is someday. But if someday were soon, well..." 

"Well what?" 

"You once thought Donna was nothing more than a manifestation of your fear to commit. Was that true?" 

"No. She's Donna." 

Stanley nodded. "You do have a decision to make, Josh but it's not about whether or not you should hire Donna. The job is just pushing up the timetable. You have to ask yourself what kind of relationship do you want with this woman. Don't let the fact that you need an assistant and she needs a job interfere with that decision. You're using the job as an escape hatch." 

"Yeah, but where does the escape hatch go?" 

"To a place where Donna is your assistant and your friend. All things considered it doesn't sound like such a bad place." 

"No. It doesn't." 

Josh looked up at the sound of a knock on his door. It was late and he only had his desk light on in the hope that most people would think he had left for the night and he could get a little down time to think things through. 

Leo McGarry didn't know what down time was. 

"Since when do you knock?" 

"Since you look like you're in the middle of a life or death decision." 

"Not life or death," he muttered. "What's up?" 

"I got a call from Chuck yesterday." 

And this was it. The moment of truth. The decision was being placed before him and he had to decide. Never once in his life had he ever considered himself indecisive. Never once was there something that he wanted that he didn't pursue with a focused determination. Never once. 

Now here he was with the thing he believed he wanted most in the world and his feet were frozen in blocks. 

And then it hit him. Stanley was right. It wasn't about whether or not he should hire Donna it was about whether or not he loved her as something more than a friend. 

Images flashed through his mind of the two of them. He remembered her fighting first her pain, then the fear. He remembered her smug victory on the drive from New Hampshire. He remembered the time they went to the Air and Space Museum and she looked at the Lunar Landing Module and turned to him and said now those guys were brave. They knew what they were in for and they did it anyway. 

He remembered her cooking, her companionship, her smile, her sarcasm. Her enthusiasm, her depth, and her wisdom. He remembered her crankiness when she was tired, and the fact that she always left the toothpaste cap off. 

He'd never had a relationship with anyone quiet like her... except Joanie. 

And that was it. That was why he was so afraid of losing her. He'd had someone he loved just as much in his life before and she left him. 

He didn't want Donna to leave... because he loved her. It was just that simple. 

"No," he said to Leo. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"I'm not going to hire, Donna. I know I need an assistant. I know she's amazing, but ..." 

"Hire Donna?" Leo interjected. "You think I wanted you to hire Donna?" 

"The other day you said..." 

"I was kidding." 

"Oh." 

"You can't hire, Donna. You're in love with the girl." 

Josh paused and looked around wondering if somehow Leo had developed ESP. "How do you... How did you... I just figured..." 

Leo simply tilted his head and looked at him. "Please. Josh, you're a brilliant man." 

"I know." 

"But sometimes you're an idiot. I'm moving Nancy up to be the President's executive assistant and I'm hiring Donna to replace Nancy." 

"And I can still..." 

"I can't imagine anyone would have problem with two single people working in different departments in the White House having a relationship. There's nothing untoward about it. Just keep it private and if you break her heart I'll have to take you out back to the Rose Garden and shoot you." 

Josh smirked. "You're not her father you know." 

"No, but she doesn't have one so I figure I can step in. Don't worry. I've done this before with Mal." 

"Okay." 

Leo was about to leave when he stopped. "I like her Josh. For you. Amy was too..." 

"Yeah, I know." 

"Donna will ground you. You listen to what she tells you. She'll take you places." 

"I've got to tell her how I feel first." 

Leo nodded. "That part always sucks." 

"Tell me about it." 

"Here's what you do. Take her a nice bottle of red wine and a flower, just one. And say something like you can't imagine your life without her." 

Josh raised his eyebrows. "Been reading up on your romance etiquette." 

"It's how I got Jenny. Of course then I spent the next thirty years losing her, but I got her, Josh. And it was great." 

"I'll see you tomorrow." 

"Right. You'll tell Donna about the job." 

"It's late. I don't know if I'm going over there or not." 

"So you'll tell Donna about the job." 

"Yeah," Josh laughed. 

He hit the buzzer outside of her apartment door and waited. 

"Sniff..sniff...Yes?" 

"It's me. What's the matter?" He could hear her holding back her sobs. 

"Sniff...sniff... Nooothing." 

"Let me in." 

"My face is blotchy." 

What? "That's okay." He hoped. 

The buzzer sounded and he opened the door. She was waiting for him at her door and her face was indeed blotchy. 

"What's the matter?" 

She pushed the tissue she was holding against her nose. "Well, firsts Sarah skated and she was so good, and I was happy. But then Michelle fell, and I was so sad, and I wanted to the Russian girl to fall, and I felt really bad about that. But then Sarah won, and I was happy again, but Michelle lost, and I was sad and I can't... can't..." 

Having absolutely no idea what to do, Josh wrapped her up in his arms. He walked them back into her apartment and used his foot to shut the door behind him. He held her in his embrace and let her sob all over his suit coat and made a mental note to put this suit in his dry cleaning pile. 

She clung to him, her face in his neck, while he rubbed her back in long soothing strokes. 

"It's okay," he crooned trying not to smile at how ridiculous she was breaking down over some Olympic event. It's as if she both won and lost herself. 

However, he did use the time to enjoy being close to her. He could smell the fragrance of her shampoo and feel the thrust of her breasts against his chest. He tightened his arms a little bit so that they were connected from their thighs to the their shoulders. 

He could feel himself becoming aroused and mentally said, "Take that, Stanely. Sex problem my ass." 

Donna must have felt his reaction too because she pushed him away. "We shouldn't, Josh," she muttered even as she took a few reluctant steps back. 

"No, it's okay," he said quickly. 

"What's okay?" 

He didn't necessarily want to say his erection was okay. "Us." 

"Us?" 

"You and me." 

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Josh, you're not making any sense." 

"I've got great news. You're fired!" 

"Okay, we need to work on your definition of great news." 

"I mean you're not going to work for me." 

"Why?" 

"Because you can't." 

"Why?" 

"Because... you know... we're gonna..." Josh waved his hand in the air and then pointed back to her bedroom. 

Donna looked back at her bedroom. "We are?" 

"Oh yeah." 

"Why now?" 

"I think a better question is why not sooner?" 

"Josh," Donna sighed. "I know why you're doing this." 

"I know I was a little obvious there a few minutes ago, but..." 

"No, I mean you're just doing this because... You're trying to force something you think you want, but that doesn't mean you necessarily want it." 

"Huh?" 

"You thought you were in love Amy." 

"I was wrong." 

"Right. But you wanted a relationship, so you were trying to force things with her. You're doing the same thing with me now." 

"No, I'm not." 

"Yes, you are. You never once..." she waved her hand in the air imitating his earlier move, "before I said I was going to work for you. But now all of the sudden..." 

"Because I was an idiot, Donna. And this isn't all of the sudden." 

He could see that she didn't believe it. He walked over to her and took her arms in his hands forcing her to face him. 

"Remember when you were staying at my place and you had that nightmare, I slept with you so you could sleep?" 

"Yes." 

"I wanted you then. Remember when you forced me to watch that girly black and white movie last week?" 

"Yes." 

"I wanted you then. Remember after the pairs competition..." 

"Okay, that I figured out. You wouldn't let go of the pillow." 

"Right. Donna I want you. I have wanted you. I've just been so damn afraid of screwing up. And then this thing with the job happened and I thought fine, I'll just hire her. Then she'll be with me all the time, but I won't be able to screw it up. But that's not fair. To either of us. I want you. As my girlfriend, my lover, my friend. Not as my damn employee." 

"You mean it?" 

"I do." 

"And you want to..." she motioned with her hand again. 

"I really do." 

"What if I don't want to..." 

"Not possible," he smirked. He leaned in and kissed her then, and he felt her lips curl up into a smile. 

"So what happens now?" she asked. 

"Well, one you're going to work for the President and two we're going to..." he waved his hand and pointed back to her bedroom. 

"Did you just say I'm going to work for the President?" Donna asked stunned at the news. 

Josh pulled her along back to her bedroom. "Yeah, but that's not the thing you should be focusing on right now." 

"Josh," she said digging in her heels. "The President?" 

Frustrated, he turned. "Yeah. It's no big deal. Now if you'll concentrate on me, we can..." 

"What will I be doing?" 

This made him smile, "Anything you like," he purred and leaned in for another taste of her lips. "But if you want I can make a few suggestions..." 

"Josh!" 

"Donna!" 

They stared at each other for a moment in a stalemate. Then Josh flashed her his dimples and she was helpless against them. 

"I guess I can worry about the President later," she said moving forward in what she hoped was a seductive move. She also hoped her face was no longer blotchy. 

"Now you're talking. After all he's just the President." 

"He is. And you're... you." And she loved him so much sometimes it made her heart hurt. She should tell him. "Josh, you know I ..." she waved her hand in the air again and hoped he understood. 

He understood. He understood perfectly. "Yeah. Me too." 

"Good. I'm glad we got that settled." 

Once he was inside her bedroom he threw off his coat and tossed it on a chair. He followed that with his tie and then began unbuttoning his shirt in quick short movements. 

"In a hurry there are you?" she teased. 

"Yeah. I know since this is our first time and everything you probably want romance and mood and all that, but Donna ... did I mention that I've wanted you for a really long time?" 

She smiled. "You did." 

She watched as he toed off his shoes and pulled off his socks. Then he opened his belt and pants fastenings and dropped them. He came to her in a pair of boxers and a T-shirt, but stopped and looked at her. 

"You're still dressed." 

"I was watching you." 

This made him a blush a little bit. "Okay, my turn." 

Donna pulled off the T-shirt she was wearing over her cotton pajama bottoms. 

Josh gasped in appreciation. "God, they're pretty. I saw them once you know," he told her moving forward to cup one breast in his hand. 

"When?" she sighed, loving the feel of his hand on her, of his fingers playing with her tightening bud. 

"In the hospital," he murmured dipping down to take one of the pink buds in his mouth. He pulled her inside his mouth, and felt her back arch in offering. He put his hands on her hips, and frustrated with the cotton barrier between his hands and her skin, he pushed her bottoms and panties over her hips and down her legs. 

He stepped back and groaned at the sight of her. "Wow." 

"Really?" she asked a little self-consciously. She normally wasn't one to strip so easily, but he was looking at her like she was some kind of sex goddess and it did a hell of a lot for her ego. 

"Really," he said moving forward again to take her in his arms. 

"Wait," she said holding a hand up. "I want you to see." Slowly she turned around. Initially, Josh thought she was showing off her perfect plump white ass cheeks, which he very much appreciated seeing, but then he understood. 

The scar was long and a little ragged over her shoulder. The skin was puckered and faded a lighter color than her natural skin. He reached out with a finger to trace it and then moved behind her, his hand circling her waist, and he kissed it gently, trying to tell her without words that it only made her more beautiful to him. 

She turned in his arms and their eyes met. Then she glanced down at his undershirt and her meaning was clear. 

Josh considered her request and decided it was only fair. This was something they shared. And for whatever reason it didn't bother him to show it to her, something he'd refused to do with other women in the past. He lifted his arms and smiled at her, telling her it was up to her to do the work. She pulled the shirt up and over his head and then ran her hands along his chest. 

She traced his scar with a finger as he had done hers and dipped down to kiss the center of his chest. She met his eyes and smiled. 

"Yeah, mine is way bigger than yours." 

"Nah uh." Instantly, he was kicked into competitive gear. 

"Is too," she said turning again even as she tried to see over her shoulder. "And mine is all raised. Look." 

"Yeah, but mine is on my chest Donna, and see it spreads out and goes left and right at the bottom." 

"Big deal, mine is jagged and yours is straight. No contest. My scar is so much cooler." 

"How about we call it a tie?" He turned her around and pulled her into his arms. He wanted to say thank you. She had turned something that could have been awkward into just another moment between them. If he hadn't realized he already loved her, he would have realized it then. 

He pulled her head to him and took her mouth in a searing kiss. He plunged his tongue past her lips and tasted her sweetness and her heat. He would never get enough of her. He knew it. One taste would never suffice and if he pulled his mouth away he knew he would measure his life in the seconds between when he was kissing her again. 

He moved her back to the bed and together they stumbled on it laughing when Josh landed on a squeaky teddy bear. 

"What in the hell is that?" He asked digging under his ass for the obstacle. 

"It was a present from school kids in New Hampshire. They sent it to me when I was in the hospital." 

"Isn't that sweet," he muttered and tossed it against the wall hard enough to make it squeak again. 

"Josh! That wasn't very nice," she teased rolling on her back and loving the feel of his body covering hers. She could feel the hair on his thighs brushing hers, the hair of his chest brushing against her over sensitive breasts. 

When she looked up at his face, he was wearing a feral smile. "I'm not feeling very nice right now." 

She reached under the band of his boxers and captured his cock in her hand. It was almost hot to the touch and she could already feel a drop of his come on the tip. She rubbed it around the head of his erection and watched his eyes close in excruciating pleasure. 

"What are you feeling?" she asked in a husky whisper thinking that she couldn't remember a time when she'd felt so free in bed with someone. 

He bent down and took her mouth again, thrusting his tongue deep in quick steady thrusts to show her exactly what he was feeling. He felt her hands tug off his boxers and suddenly his cock was in contact with her soft fur-covered mound. He could feel her wetness and he thrust his hips a few times letting his erection stroke the sensitive bud between her folds. 

"Ahh, god Josh." She lifted her legs up and circled his hips wanting to keep his body right there. "Just a few more..." 

He could see she was close already and was amazed by it. He felt like they had only just started, but he could feel his own orgasm building and knew that this first time wasn't going to last nearly as long as he would like. 

He'd make it up her to her the next time, or the time after that, or the time after that.... for the rest of their lives. 

"Protection?" he muttered dipping his mouth to her neck where her scent and skin combined in an aphrodisiac that had him thrusting his hips against her again. She groaned and so did he. 

"Left drawer," she choked out not bothering to tell him that she'd bought them weeks ago just for this moment. 

Josh pulled away from her and she groaned disappointment at his absence. He found the box and extracted a condom putting it on as quickly as possible. Then he knelt between her outstretched legs and stared down at her body. He could see how damp her blonde curls were between her legs and he wanted to taste her, but knew that if he did he wouldn't last another second. 

He palmed her instead letting his fingers tease her opening, circling it, without penetrating it. 

"Josh! Please, I'm going to..." 

"No, wait." He moved quickly then and positioned his cock at her opening. In one swift move, he pushed himself deep inside her. 

Their gasps commingled. 

"Quick! Please fast." 

He knew what she needed and was glad for it because it was the only way he could give it to her. His hips surged deep. When he pulled out he felt her ankles lock over his ass and smiled, then he gave her what she wanted by thrusting deep again. 

He braced his hands on the bed and let his body go, thrusting harder and deeper than he ever imagined. His hips snapped in time with her sighs, and he loved the way she took him inside, loved the feel of her wet slick passage gripping him so tightly, loved her. 

Donna's shoulders twisted on the bed as her body thrashed and her hips lifted to meet him. She'd never come close to feeling anything like this, never taken anyone so deep, never felt as connected. She could feel her whole body tightening and heard Josh groan when her internal muscles clenched even tighter around him. She wanted to open her eyes, to see him, but she couldn't so intense were the feelings running through her body. He pushed deep again, and she felt herself fall over the edge. 

"Josh!" 

He saw her breasts flush pink, saw her mouth open in ecstasy and followed her over into the abyss. He could feel himself pumping again and again into her and for a moment thought that he might just come forever. 

But then it was over and he felt his body collapse on top of hers and wondered if she hadn't just killed him. 

"I think I'm dead," he groaned as he rolled to his side. 

"You can't be dead or else you wouldn't be talking," she told him turning with him so she could nuzzle against his side. 

"You're being logical? At a time like this." 

"It's a gift." 

He smiled up at the ceiling and felt her reach for a blanket at the end of the bed and cover them both so he didn't have to move, which was a good thing, because he was pretty sure he couldn't. 

Sated, warm, more relaxed than he'd ever been, Josh marveled at the power of being love. It was a heady thing. 

"And Josh?" 

"Yeah?" he muttered feeling himself drift into sleep. 

"Just for the record, no way was it a tie. My scar wins." 

He would have smiled if he could. 

The End. 


End file.
